The End of the Beginning
by KeTai
Summary: Ok - here's another quick idea. Striaght after the end of Catching Fire, switches between Gale and Katniss - R&R :-
1. The End

**THE END, **_by Katniss_

District 12 has been destroyed. So has District 11. And 10 come to think of it. Actually, the whole of Panem has been destroyed. The Capitol sensed war from the rebellion so destroyed everything there could. Everybody who survived ran to District 13 where they live underground. So that's where I am now.

But here's the catch: the people who run this whole refuge thing have split us all into District categories. They think that people from other Districts won't mix well. So they separate us. So if you're from District 10, you can't see anyone from 11, and so on. Fine by me, since I'm from 12. But I'm not. They say that, because I was rescued from District 1, I have to stay with all these snobbish District 1 people who I don't know.

Except I'm don't. I don't actually see them. Because I'm the mockingjay. I'm special. I started the rebellion. I'm Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire. District 13 is a dangerous place; they can't let anything happen to me. That's one theory. There are others, but I prefer not to think about those.

So I'm 'kept' here. Away from Danger. Away from the rest of the world. Alone in a room in the quarters of District 1. I get food. I am given the news. But I'm not allowed to see anyone. I can't see my family. I can't see Gale. I can't see anyone that means anything to me. I've never thought that life could be so painfully lonely.

I hope, all the same, that the Capitol will not find us here. Who knows what will happen then.

Luckily, I know my family are still alive. The Refuge Keepers promised to inform me if anything happens to anything or anyone. To keep me up to date with everything Outside. I'd still rather be there, I tell them. I tell them that I've been through enough, I'm sure I can handle it. But they just shake their heads and walk away, looking guilty and frightened.

I know what's happening out there.

The Refuge Keepers told me that everybody's living happily in houses and working like normal and that everything's fine. They say I have to stay alone because the Capitol is still searching for me.

But I saw it when I came in. I see all the work that goes on. All the Hardships. Every District continues with its old work, but not for the Capitol. For every other District. This means a lot of work. I know that somewhere out there, Gale is digging hard for coal. Aching all over and covered in sweat. Pushing heavy wagons up and down. And I'm here, sitting in a chair, wondering what we're going to do, but doing absolutely nothing.

I hear the grey door creak open and two Refuge Keepers walk in. Both male, both middle aged and grey, like everything else here. Dull, grey and boring. They set a plain meal before me and hand me a small envelope, their face unfathomable. I finger the envelope: it's quite thick.

They leave silently and I watch them with bored eyes on a bored, grey face. I try to remember what it was like to have such extreme feelings of joy, grief and terror only a few months back. Now everything here that I'm allowed to see is bland and lifeless.

I slide my finger underneath the envelope seal and prise it open. I strain my mind to work out what I am feeling so I can display it on my face but find nothing so remain grey. I take out the note and unfold it.

I scan my eyes down it. Slowly, taking a lot of time over each word, glad to have something to do. But as each word sinks in at the beginning of the letter, my shoulders become tense and my lip trembles, deciding whether to laugh or cry. I forget to breathe for a moment. I close my eyes for a moment, relaxing but oddly flooded with joy and confusion. I continue reading, my eyes flickering from line to line. A new message comes and I become tense once again, but a different feeling is flooding through me, which takes me a moment to identify. I bite my lip and shut my eyes and take everything in. Or try to. Two facts in one day. Two new things. Both terrible and amazing, but in such different ways. There are so many explanations leading up to each one. And so many possibilities that branch out before them. I tell myself to stand up and collapse on my grey bed, but my legs have become lead and I am forced to remain seated.

I am unsure how to take it all. I try closing my eyes and turning it over. I try forcing tears. I try smiling. I try weeping. I try sobbing. But there is too much grief in this message and tears feel stale and a poor reaction. They are not enough for what I feel.


	2. What will she think?

**What will she think? **_**By Gale**_

I heard the announcement over a crackly speaker. I was carrying a great heavy lump of coal and I dropped it on my toe. I lay and think about it now.

I wonder if they've told her? I wonder where she is now? They told me she was 'fine' when I asked but if she is then why hasn't she visited me? I wish they'd tell me. I suppose they think they're doing me a favour by not, but they don't know all the terrifying theory's that flash through my head. They don't know how I hear her scream every night. It makes me cry sometimes. I want to see her.

She'd be sad, I suppose. I know that That's the only reason I'm thinking about all this. The Refuge Keepers promised to tell us every time somebody is lost or found or died or even born (which is very, very rare.) which means we hear about it every day. But these two – they just went to my head, and now I can't stop thinking about how Katniss must be feeling.

She must feel terrible, I know, and every time I have to suppress a guilty smile, I feel awful. I can hardly grieve over it, though; I'm not sad. That makes me feel bad. The other part though – I really do wonder how Katniss is feeling about it. Overjoyed at first, I'm sure, but when all the possibilities creep into her mind…I know they will; she's not stupid.

Ok, I admit, I didn't first hear about the second part from the announcement; I was standing right next to it Yes, it was dreadful. A horrible sight, but I still feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. That makes me feel guilty again.

I roll over and go to sleep.

I am woken by the feel of boots on my mattress. I keep my eyes shut, hardly daring to breathe. I open one slightly and peer through the lids. I just have time to realise that it's still dark when I realise I am staring into the face of one of the refuge Keepers.

'He's awake' he shouts, 'take him.'

I try to rub the sleep from my eyes but two more Refuge Keepers have a strong grip on my arms as they lead me out of my, and nineteen other boy's, room and out into the night. The cold hits me instantly and I shiver. I am barely conscious of what's happening, still half asleep. I realise I'm being marched down stairs and sat in a chair. I hear a door lock. The three Refuge Keepers are looking at me sternly. I shake myself awake.

'Ok, Gale,' one of them says, 'Agree on something for me, yeah? No lies. Agreed?'

I nod curtly. I know what they're going to say. He gets to the point pretty quickly:

'Gale, did you kill Peeta Mellark?'

I am annoyed that it still comes as a shock. I shake my head, trying not to look guilty or desperate.

'We have reason to believe you did.'

'I didn't. I know why you think that but…' I break off, worried my voice will start shaking.

'We have no evidence you did not.'

'You have no evidence that I did,' I retort stubbornly.

The Refuge Keeper fiddles with his fingers and then puts them behind his back. 'We do,' he replies simply. 'Everybody knows you did it, Gale. We saw the wagon that knocked Peeta down to the tracks. Everybody knows you were right next to it. Everybody knows you hate him. There is no other explanation. You pushed the wagon into him.'

'It rolled,' I protest, but move on quickly, 'Does Katniss know?' I ask suddenly.

'Katniss has been told of the murder.'

'The murder? You mean she thinks…?'

'She knows, son, she knows.'

'No!' I shout, 'I didn't do it! I swear! Don't do anything to me…or Katniss…or…'

'Nobody shall be harmed, son, but until we have evidence, I'm afraid you must remain in here.' He turns to go with the other two.

'Wait!' I say, 'Does Katniss know about…the other part?'

He nods and shuts the door, locking it from the outside. I put my head in my hands. I stamp my feet. I shout protests through the cold, stone walls. I rage all over.

But I don't cry.


	3. Not the only captive here

_Sorry, haven't updated any of my stories for soooooooooooo long. To cut a long story short (which I don't usually do but will do now so I can start writing something interesting rather than apologising) I haven't been able to get onto a computer for quite some time._

**NOT THE ONLY CAPTIVE HERE, **by Katniss.

I lay on my bed, waiting for them to come back. I'm asleep, of course. Well, I'm not, but _they_ don't have to know that.

They always come around now, I think, so where are they? I slowly sit up, the bed creaking beneath me as I do so. It is dark, but not too dark to be able to see quite clearly. An uneaten meal rests on the table in the centre of the room. In the dark, it looks even greyer than it did before. It doesn't look real. I frown for a moment, trying to work out why, and then decide it is just the light. Or lack of light. I look hungrily at it for a minute or two; I know I need to eat, and it's not that I don't want to; I just don't see the point. Not now there's nobody left in my life.

Peeta's dead.

And I'm never talking to Gale again. Never.

Rue? Dead.

Even those stupid, snooty 'friends' I picked up from the Arena in the Quarter Quell, gone.

Prim? Not dead, at least, but may as well be to me.

I gasp out loud.

Didn't say that, didn't think that.

But I put my head between my knees in horror. Why am I so selfish, I wonder? I'm the Mockingjay; does that mean I'm supposed to be selfish? No, no, no. My thoughts are getting tangled up in my brain, I think. I can't think straight, that's it. Nothing's real, nothing matters…

There I go again; I may as well be screaming and hallucinating, I've gone _mad. _

I just thought my sister may as well be dead if I can't see her. Does that mean the whole world may as well explode if I'm not allowed to see it? What have I become?

'Let it go, Katniss,' I say out loud. Then they come, footsteps.

I scramble back under my covers and try to breathe slowly, steadily, like you do in a deep sleep. I shut my eyes as the door creaks as loud as my bed and I suddenly panic and roll over so the Refuge Keeper won't be able to see my face when he comes in. I strain my ears and listen for voices, but hear none. That means there is only one Refuge Keeper. Good.

He approaches my bed and I hold my breath for a second before realising how stupid that idea was, and let it out as slowly and steadily as I can. It has to seem natural, I know. I'm asleep, I'm asleep. I suddenly realise I've never had to pretend that much in my life before. Like acting, you know. Unless you count all the times I've had to keep my trap shut about what I think about the Capitol. But they're countless times so you wouldn't be able to.

You'd need an Abacus; a really big one. Kids in District One have Abacus's, I know. They help you count.

God, Katniss! I shake myself and make myself concentrate. _Why am I thinking about Abacus's? _

Crazy.

He's walking away now, just checking. I roll slowly and silently back over, now holding my breath again, pleased so far with my good acting job. The bed creaks and I freeze as he whirls around. Panicking again now, I give a dramatic and sleepy sigh, then bring my thumb to my mouth and get comfortable. Maybe subtleness isn't the way to play it, I decide. I hear the Refuge Keeper snort but turn away. I open my eyes. He is squinting at the meal.

Don't you dare, I think. I _need _that.

He ambles over and reaches for a grape, then changes his mind and draws his hand back. He heads for the door.

_Now, now! _I'm going! _Well hurry up then! _Give me time…_No! NOW!_

I'm talking to myself, I realise. I stop abruptly and leap out of my bed, grabbing the Refuge Keeper's shoulders and pinning him to the ground. I don't really want to hurt him at all, but as I find myself in action again, something tightens in my chest and I realise how much I miss by bow and arrow. Hunting. Illegally…District 12. And Gale…

Who I will never speak to again. I hate him.

The man lets out a cry and I reach for a bread roll on the table and stuff it into his mouth. I untie the piece of string from around my waist I have considered hanging myself with when I feel really desperate and use it to bind his hands.

'Whaa yuh dung? Op! Op!'

'Shut up,' I tell him, 'It's not my fault I'm doing this and you won't die; you can eat that bread roll. It's only for a night or two. And I'll untie you when I go; it's just you'll run off otherwise.'

He lashes out with his legs and one of them rams into my face. I feel my nose start to bleed and my eye swells up quickly. Groaning, I resist the urge to hit him back and instead retrieve my bedding and shake off the pillow case and sheet. I use them to bind his legs together, then shove him under my bed and cover him with blankets. _The key…where's the key?_

'Where's the key?' I call. _Well, he's not going to answer; you stuffed a bread roll in his mouth. _Oh, yeah. Panicking, I roll him back out from the bed and search for it. He grunts and groans until finally I give up and run to the door. There. Typical; he's one of those idiots who leaves the key in the door. I run back to him, push him back under my bed and then sprint back to the door. I'm free, I think. Well, hardly, but free as I've ever been since I left District 12.

The man moans in a very forlorn way. Most would probably have felt sorry for him then but I'm not really much of a decent person.

'Shut up,' I tell him, 'I'm not the only captive here. And neither are you, so cut it out.' Then I lock the door behind me, slide the key into my pocket and run for it.

_Ok, so Katniss is a bit crazy, but I'm in a crazy sort of mood. Please R&R_

_I do not own the Hunger Games! (Wish I did though, that would be awesome!)_


End file.
